click on images to enlarge Church of the Transfiguration "The Little Church Around the Corner" (Episcopal) One East 29th Street New York, N.Y. 10016 http://www.littlechurch.org Organ Specifications: ► III/47 C.B. Fisk, Inc., Op. 92 (1988) ► III/48 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 6377 (1936) ► III/38 Austin Organ Company, Op. 1554 (1927) ► III/37 George S. Hutchings, Op. 364 (1895) •  II/12 Hilborne L. Roosevelt, Op. 175 (1885) •  II/ Geo. Jardine & Son (1869) •  II/18 Henry Crabb (1852)   On the first Sunday in October, 1848, the first service of the Church of the Transfiguration was held in a private home at 48 East 24th Street. The original one-story Gothic Revival church and adjoining rectory were built in 1849-50, and added to in 1852. The Lady Chapel was built in 1906, and the mortuary chapel was added in 1908. Frederick Clarke Withers designed the 1896 "lych-gate" ("lych" is Saxon for "corpse"), which is a gateway covered with a roof, the traditional entrance to an English churchyard where the bier would be placed prior to burial. The church's picturesque but rambling style has been affectionately referred to as "The Holy Cucumber Vine". It was in 1870 that Joseph Jefferson was rebuffed in arranging for the funeral of his friend, George Holland, an actor. Told that there was a little church around the corner where "they do that sort of thing," Jefferson fervently exclaimed, "God Bless the Little Church Around the Corner" and that famous benediction has echoed down through the years. This brought about a close relationship with the people of the theater which has continued to this day. It also brought about the founding, in 1923, of the Episcopal Actors' Guild, whose members have included Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Fontaine, Walter Hampden, Rex Harrison, and Charlton Heston, among others. The Church of the Transfiguration was cited by the New York City Preservation Commission in 1967, and designated a United States Landmark in 1973.   C.B. Fisk, Inc. Gloucester, Mass. – Opus 92 (1988) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 36 stops, 47 ranks, 2,203 pipes                 Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes 16   Bourdon   2 [ Fifteenth   8   Prestant     [ Mixture V-VIII ranks   8   Spire Flute   8   Cornet V [TC]   8   Harmonic Flute   8   Trumpet   4   Octave   8   Cromorne   4   Rohrflute                           Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed 8   Gambe   2   Doublette   8   Voix céleste       Fourniture III ranks   8   Cor de nuit   16   Dulcian   4   Spitzflute   8   Trompette   2 2/3 [ Quinte   8   Hautbois     [ Sesquialtera II ranks                           Brustwerk (Manual III) – 58 notes 8   Stopt Diapason   8   Regal   4   Flute   4   Schawm   2 [ Waldflöte             [ Double Cymbal III ranks                           Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Open Bass   8   Bourdon   16 [ Bourdon *   4 [ Octave   32 [ Bourdon *     [ Mixture IV ranks   8 Baarpijp   16 Trombone                       * located near the high altar and played by electric action                   Accessories                 2 adjustable Combination Pedals – On and Off – for each jamb of stop knobs   Tremulant [entire organ]   Zimblestern [5 bells]                 Bracketed pairs of stops are controlled by a single knob. Drawing the knob halfway brings on the first stop; drawing it fully brings on the second stop.   M. P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 6377 (1936) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 50 stops, 48 ranks From the April 1936 issue of The Diapason: "The three-manual and chimes organ built by the Austin Organ Company in 1929 for the famous "Little Church Around the Corner" Church of the Transfiguration in New York has been reconstructed by M. P. Möller. The scheme was drawn up by Hugh McAmis in consultation with Franklin Coates, organist and choirmaster of the church."                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   Diapason 73 4   Open Flute 73 8   Second Open Diapason 73     Grave Mixture II ranks * 122 8   Wald Flute * 73     Harmonics IV ranks * 244 8   Gemshorn 73     Chorus Mixture IV ranks * 244 4   Octave 73     Chimes 25 tubes                 Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 73 2   Flageolet 61 8   Diapason 73     Plein Jeu V ranks * 305 8   Stopped Flute 73 16   Contra Fagotto 73 8   Salicional * 73 8   Trumpet 73 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 61 8   Oboe [ext.] 12 8   Aeoline 73 8   Vox Humana 61 8   Vox Angelica [TC] 61 4   Clarion * 73 4   Octave * 73     Tremolo   4   Flauto Traverso 73                         Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Contra Dulciana 73 2   Piccolo 61 8   Diapason * 73 1 3/5   Dolce Tierce [ext.] 9 8   Melodia 73 8   French Horn 73 8   Dulciana [ext.] 12 8   Clarinet 73 8   Unda Maris [TC] 61     Tremolo   4   Flute d'Amour 73     Harp 61 bars 4   Dolce [ext.] 12     Celesta — 2 2/3   Dolce Nazard [ext.] 7                         Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Resultant — 8   Flute [ext.] 12 16   Open Diapason 32 8   Cello [ext.] 12 16   Second Diapason * 32 4   Octave * 32 16   Bourdon 32 16   Trombone 32 16   Lieblich Bourdon SW 16   Fagotto SW 16   Dulciana CH 8   Tromba [ext.] 12 8   Diapason * [ext.] 12                     * indicates stops added by Möller   Austin Organ Company Hartford, Conn. – Opus 1554 (1927) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 52 stops, 38 ranks                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 73 4   Open Flute * 73 8   First Open Diapason 73 4   Octave * 73 8   Second Open Diapason * 73 8   Tuba Harmonic * 73 8   Grossflöte * 73     Chimes preparation 8   Gemshorn * 73         8   Gamba * 73     * enclosed in Choir expression box                 Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 73 1 3/5   Tierce + 61 8   Diapason Phonon 73 1 1/7   Septieme + 61 8   Stopped Flute 73     Mixture [draws + stops] — 8   Salicional 73 16   Fagotto 85 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 61 8   Oboe [ext.] — 8   Aeoline 73 4   Clarion [ext.] — 8   Vox Angelica [TC] 61 8   Cornopean 73 4   Flauto Traverso 73 8   Vox Humana 61 2 2/3   Nazard + 61          [sep chest, box and tremolo] 2   Flautino + 61     Tremolo                   Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Double Dulciana 97 4   Flute d'Amour 61 8   Dulciana [ext.] — 2   Piccolo 61 4   Dolce [ext.] — 8   Clarinet 73 2 2/3   Nazard [ext.] — 8   French Horn 73 4   Dulcet [ext.] —     Harp 61 bars 8   Open Diapason 73     Celesta — 8   Melodia 73     Tremolo   8   Unda Maris [TC] 61                         Chantry Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Violin Diapason 61 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 49 8   Gedeckt 61     Tremolo   8   Viole Aetheria 61                         Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Resultant Bass — 8   Flute [ext.] 12 16   Open Diapason 32 8   'Cello [ext.] GT 16   Bourdon 32 16   Fagotto SW 16   Dolce Bourdon SW 16   Tuba Profunda [ext. GT] 12 8   Octave [ext.] SW           George S. Hutchings Company Boston, Mass. – Opus 364 (1895) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 39 stops, 38 ranks The following specification was recorded by F.R. Webber in one of his "Organ Scrapbooks," now in the collection of The Organ Historical Society Archives in Princeton, N.J.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 61 4   Flute Harmonique 61 8   First Open Diapason 61 2 2/3   Twelfth 61 8   Second Open Diapason 61 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Viola di Gamba 61     Mixture III ranks 183 8   Doppel Flöte 61 8   Trumpet 61 4   Octave 61                         Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon treble 49 4   Flute Harmonique 61 16   Bourdon bass 12 2   Flageolet 61 8   Open Diapason 61     Dolce Cornet III ranks 183 8   Salicional 61 16   Fagotto 61 8   Aeoline 61 8   Cornopean 61 8   Stopped Diapason 61 8   Oboe 61 4   Octave 61 4   Clarion 61 4   Violina 61     Tremolo                   Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes 8   Geigen Principal 61 4   Flute d'Amour 61 8   Dulciana 61 2   Piccolo Harmonique 61 8   Concert Flute 61 8   Clarionet 61                 Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Open Diapason 42 8   Violoncello [ext.] — 16   Violone 42 8   Flöte [ext.] — 16   Bourdon 42 8   Octave [ext.] — 10 2/3   Quint —                         Couplers     Swell to Great       Great to Pedal       Swell to Choir       Swell to Pedal       Choir to Great       Choir to Pedal               Pedal Movements     Forte, Great & Pedal Organ     Great to Pedal reversible     Mezzo, Great & Pedal Organ     Swell to Great at octaves     Piano, Great & Pedal Organ     Balanced Swell Pedal     Forte, Swell & Pedal Organ           Mezzo, Swell & Pedal Organ           Piano, Swell & Pedal Organ         Hilborne L. Roosevelt New York City – Opus 175 (1885) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 12 stops Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Geo. Jardine & Son New York City (1869) Mechanical action 2 manuals Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Henry Crabb New York City (1852) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 18 stops Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Sources:      "Austin for Famed Church," article in The Diapason, August 1927 (Austin Op. 1554 specs). Courtesy Jeff Scofield.      Austin Organs, Inc. website: http://austinorgans.com      The Church of the Transfiguration website: http://www.littlechurch.org      The Diapason, April 1936. (Möller Op. 6377 stoplist). Courtesy Jeff Scofield.      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Hutchings Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn; courtesy David Scribner.      Jardine Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn; courtesy David Scribner.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Roosevelt Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn; courtesy David Scribner.      Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specifications of Geo. S. Hutchings organ, Op. 364 (1895); courtesy Jonathan Bowen. Photos:      C.B. Fisk: Organ case.      ebay.com: 1947 postcard of church.   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |